League of Conservation Voters Applauds New Members of Congress for Leadership on Clean Energy

WASHINGTON, DC - The League of Conservation Voters today applauded 19 freshmen members of Congress led by Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) for sending a letter to House leadership supporting the inclusion of the Renewable Electricity Standard bill (H.R. 969) sponsored by Reps. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Todd Platts (R-PA) in the energy legislation expected to be considered on the House floor before the August recess.

"We applaud Rep. Paul Hodes and the 19 freshmen members of Congress who signed this letter for their leadership on real solutions to our energy challenges," League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said. "Many of these members ran on clean energy in the last election cycle -- a message that clearly resonated with voters. By supporting a Renewable Electricity Standard, these Representatives are demonstrating their commitment to curbing global warming and helping our country transition to a clean energy economy."

"The sooner we set these standards the quicker American industries will innovate and respond," Congressman Hodes said. "Requiring more energy from renewable sources will create jobs (over 350,000 according to the Union of Concerned Scientists), preserve our environment and reduce our reliance on unfriendly governments. My home state of New Hampshire, in addition to 22 other states, has passed a renewable electricity standard. We recognize that striving for energy independence is the patriotic thing to do, and that now is the time for the federal government to act."

The Udall-Platts Renewable Electricity Standard bill would require utilities to obtain at least 20 percent of their electricity from clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2020. Establishing this standard will help diversify our nation's energy supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of jobs.

LCV Legislative Director Tiernan Sittenfeld said, "We urge members of the House to vote for the Udall-Platts Renewable Electricity Standard to lead our country toward a clean energy future."

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The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the independent political voice for the environment. To secure the environmental future of our planet, LCV's mission is to advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt and implement such policies. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.lcv.org <http://www.lcv.org/> .